Alonso hits 40th homer as Orioles rally past Blue Jays

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso hit his 40th home run of the 2026 season on Monday night, powering his team to a 4-3 comeback victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards and, according to OptaSTATS, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to reach 40 homers in his first season with a National League team and his first season with an American League team. Alonso homered twice in the game, his fourth career season with 40 or more home runs. Toronto jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning after a rain delay of 47 minutes, but Alonso answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the first. Gunnar Henderson homered in the sixth inning to pull Baltimore closer, and Alonso delivered the decisive blow with a two-run homer off Tyler Rogers with two outs in the eighth, giving the Orioles their first lead of the night. The victory improved Baltimore's record to 76-81 and kept the Orioles' American League wild card hopes alive, though they remain on the verge of elimination. Toronto fell to 77-80 and dropped 3.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the final AL wild card berth.